Packing machine for flattened or oval cigarettes



April 10, 1934. J. NEFF 1,954,020

PACKING MACHINEFOR FLAT'IENED 0R OVAL CIGARETTES Filed May 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 10, 1934. J NEFF 1,954,020

PACKING MACHINE FOR FLATTENED OR OVAL CIGARETTES Filed May 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKING MACHINE FOR FLATTENED OR OVAL CIGARETTES Application May 5, 1930, Serial No. 449,822 In Germany January 9, 1930 1 Claim.

In the usual cigarette packets for flattened or oval cigarettes it is desirable that the uppermost layer should show a quite uniform position of the cigarettes with all the imprints facing up- 5 wards but this is not the case with the lower layers. Methods and apparatus for obtaining this uniform position of flattened or oval cigarettes are described for example in German Patent 430,311 and in U. S. patent application, Serial Number 302,984, now U. S. Patent No. 1,812,294.

As uniform position of the cigarettes in the upper layer only is desired and not in the lower layer or layers which amount to at least one half and often two thirds of the number in a packet,

- in accordance with the present invention, not

all of the cigarettes to be supplied to a packet are properly arranged. Thus the cigarettes forming the uppermost layer and those forming the lower layer or layers are subjected to diiferent treatment. Hitherto however the cigarettes i be damaged. Moreover it was not economical since the need for adjacent tracks made the machines too large, a matter of considerable importance in machines having two or three rows of packets.

In accordance with the invention these disadvantages are avoided and damage to the cigarettes reduced to a minimum by supplying the cigarettes not to be treated direct from a container to the feed track so that a repeated separaticn and transport of the cigarettes at least in those layers is avoided.

First the cigarettes serving to form the lower layers are removed in known manner in a single or double layer (or in certain cases in even greater numbers of layers) by a channel shaped slide from a pile in which the cigarettes are .located in separate vertical rows separated by partition walls. The slide feeds the group of cigarettes removed from the pile on to a feed track on which or by which the group of cigapatent application, Serial Number 302,984 which feeds the cigarettes removed from the pockets through a directing device described therein. Where this pocket band meets the first mentioned feed means is arranged a guide surface extend- 1 1,55 ing thereover and over which a gripper device this feed means can now feed all the cigarettes necessary to fill the packet with the cigarettes forming the upper layer in the correct position. Such a packeting means is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the illustration being limited to the parts necessary to facilitate an un- 7 derstanding of the invention which are mostly well known.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the whole arrangement, Fig. 1a is an enlarged view of a detail, Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line II of Fig. l, and Fig. ,7- 3, a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1. 1

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the container which is rectangular in plan and is hoppershaped in elevation its lower part being divided by the vertical partition walls 2 into narrow 9 pockets each adapted to receive a vertical row of cigarettes. Beneath this container moves a slide 3 formed with slots corresponding to the division walls 2 by which the lowermost layer of cigarettes is fed over the guide surface of the pri- F35 mary feed track. This track consists of a sheet metal base 5 between sides 6 and a band 8 running above the base 5 and passing over roller 7, said band being provided with entraining mem-- bers 9 located at suitable distances apart. The $0 entraining members each consist of two fingers with a slot between them. The feed means described feeds the layer of cigarettes 2 brought from the slide 3 into the path of the entraining members 9 in the direction of the arrow to the 5 packeting station. Transversely of the primary feed track is arranged the secondary feed track for the cigarettes intended to form the upper layer, such secondary feed track being in the form of a band 10 having pockets, which band runs over the pulleys 11 and 12. It travels from beneath the container 14 the shape of which is generally similar to that of the container 1. At the lower end of this container are also disposed vertical partition walls 14 by which the cigarettes in this portion are separated into vertical rows. There are thus located in the lower part of the slots formed by the partition walls hinged flaps 15 and beneath the end faces of the container a grid like slide 164x10 The members 15 and 16 move alternately into the open position and thus form a kind of sluice through which only one cigarette is allowed to pass from each vertical row. The pocket band 10 then passes to a directing device 17 such asis described in said U. S. patent application, Serial Number 302,984. Wherethe band 10 meets the primary feed track a shaped guide surface 18 is provided, which with its forked portion extending into the path of the band 10 engages beneath the ends of the cigarettes projecting beyond the pockets. The lower platform shaped part of the guide surface 18 extends over the base 5 of the feed tracks 5, 6 at such a level-thatthe groupof cigarettes .2 can pass beneath the guide surface, Over the guide surface moves the rotating cross 19 which carries a group of cigarettes 3 serving to form the upper layer from the pockets and pushes them towards the end of the guide surface 18. This operation coincides with the continuous movement of the primary feed track so that the group of cigarettes s meets the group 2. When the next entraining member 9 comes forward it pushes forwards with its lower finger the group 2 and also with its upper finger the group s and thus guides the total number of cigarettes required for the packet with those of the upper layer properly arranged to the packing station. The track 5, 6 which is U-shaped has one of its side walls 6 (the one adapted to face the pocket band 10) recessed as at 6' through which extends the platform 18. The forked portion 18 of said platform which extends into the path of theband 10 and is adapted to engage the ends of the cigarettes 5 carried by said band, is also recessed as at 18 to permit the passage of the members of the revolving cross 19. The entraining members 9 of the band 8 are slotted and project laterally from the band 8 so that they can pass through the track 56.

'I claim:

A packing machine for flattened cigarettes comprising a container for the cigarettes of the lower layers, said container adapted to hold the cigarettes in vertical rows, a slide for ejecting them from the container, at primary feed track on towhich they are ejected by said slide and by which they are fed in the direction of their longitudinal axes to the packing station, a container for the cigarettes intended to form the upper layer, a pocket conveyor receiving the cigarettes from said'container and extending transversely of the primary feed track, and means for correcting the position of the cigarettes intended to form the upper layer before they reach the primary feed track and means associated with the primary feed track for feeding both layers to the packing station.

JOHANNES NEFF. 

